Aug 10, 2024 10:07 AM

Review: HexClad Cookware

Name: HexClad Cookware
Item: HexClad Cookware

Want some of the benefits of two separate pans, combined into one pan? HexClad has you covered—sort of.

Different views of silver cookware pans. Decorative background lava texture.

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Multiple Buying Options Available

$179 at HexClad (12-inch Hybrid Fry Pan)

$179 at HexClad (3-quart Hybrid Deep Sauté Pan)

$199 at Amazon (12-inch Hybrid Fry Pan)

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Rating:

5/10

WIRED

Easy to clean. Eye-catching design. Induction-friendly. You can cook on it.

TIRED

Awkward handles. PTFE coating. Expensive. Not as good as two separate pans.

The first time I used the HexClad Hybrid Deep Saute Pan, I burned myself on the “Stay Cool” handle (more on that later). I seasoned the pan with oil per the manufacturer's recommendations, I cooked some eggs, and they turned out mostly OK—but they stuck to the pan that’s marketed as “nonstick.” This led me down the path of minor inconveniences that culminated in one conclusion: HexClad cookware is like, fine, I guess. But the hybrid technology combining stainless steel and nonstick cookware isn’t all that impactful except in the bad ways, and you should just get a good stainless pan and a good nonstick pan instead.

First Impressions

Photograph: Louryn Strampe

When I’m testing gear, I have a rule for myself: Go in with fresh eyes. That means, as much as possible, I avoid other opinions from people—professional reviewers, friends, my pets, et cetera. I was already skeptical of HexClad due to the marketing around it, and my experience cooking on it solidified my hunch. You know when you’re shopping on Amazon and you choose to purchase gift wrap and the items arrive inside a weirdly tacky fabric bag? That’s what the HexClad pans are wrapped in (inside their boxes) upon arrival. It’s minor, but it rubbed me the wrong way. It reminded me of staying at a really nice hotel, only to discover that the sheets have a thread count of seven and the toilet paper is transparent. And then I started cooking on them. Cookware coated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or Teflon, is generally thought to be safe, but if it’s damaged or heated past 500 degrees Fahrenheit, it can be harmful to your health. I tried to scrape the surface of the pan with a fork, and it didn't flake or scratch. That's a good thing! But on the flip side, due to the hexagonal pattern on the pan's interior surface, I don't know that I would see small scratches or chips as easily as I would on a fully nonstick-coated pan. You know what kind of cookware doesn’t have these problems? Carbon steel and cast iron. You know what doesn’t cost $179? Our favorite nonstick pan.

The $179 12-inch Hybrid Fry Pan is fine. It heated evenly and quickly, just a tad slower than my All-Clad comparison. The same is true for the $179 3.3-quart Hybrid Deep Saute Pan. But when these prices are comparable to All-Clad, which I (and many chefs) consider to be the standard, they'd better work just as well, and in my experience that just wasn’t the case. During my month of testing, I cooked stovetop pasta, eggs, and steak twice in each pan.

Photograph: Louryn Strampe

HexClad’s pans are coated in nonstick hexagonal “valleys” with stainless steel “ridges” in between. In theory, you could reap the benefits of both nonstick and stainless cookware in one fell swoop. In practice, it turns out these pans aren’t the best stainless or nonstick cookware. You don’t get the best of both worlds. The pans aren’t really nonstick. You still need to use oil or butter to cook eggs, for example, and I experienced food sticking to the stainless steel ridges. And they aren’t really stainless steel. A hard sear on a piece of meat needs high temperatures, but to maximize their durability you shouldn’t heat coated pans to high temperatures—even HexClad says you should start with lower temperatures. You can get a nice sear on HexClad cookware, but is the trade-off risking the breakdown of the coating and therefore potentially your health? Is the trade-off worth the fact that you can’t build up a good fond due to the nonstick surface? I never go through these mental gymnastics when I’m cooking with my cast-iron skillet or my All-Clad Essentials Pan. And I found myself resenting HexClad for interrupting my thoughts while I was cooking dinner. The last thing I want to be worried about on top of Everything Going On in the world is whether my dinner is safe to eat—or going to turn out the way I intend.

Second Guesses

Photograph: Louryn Strampe

Composition aside, the design of HexClad’s cookware was also just fine. It generally looks and weighs similar to All-Clad pans, with the exception of a curvy handle that I found hard to grip. All-Clad handles are relatively easy to grip. HexClad’s have a bulbous center that does stay cool to the touch, provided you can manage enough grip around that bigger middle section. I couldn’t, apparently, and I burned myself on the thinner metal piece closer to the pan. Not to shout into the void, but you know what pans don’t have that problem? Take a wild guess. And it's important to mention that HexClad pans have a magnetic base, so they can be used with induction cooktops. I don't have induction so I didn't test this method, but it may be a draw for some people. HexClad also offers a limited lifetime warranty covering manufacturer defects. This warranty matches what you'd find from All-Clad and other cookware brands.

All of this is to say that, again, I don’t think HexClad cookware is bad. It’s easy to clean—either in the dishwasher or by hand, which is what the company recommends—and it’s a totally viable cooking surface. It’s oven-safe to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, and it’ll look nice in your kitchen. The lids fit well and the cookware gets the job done. But I just don’t have that many nice things to note about it. If you want to spend an arm and a leg on it, you could. I think you’d be better off investing the same amount of money in non-hybrid cookware—it would be cheaper to get a good nonstick and a good stainless steel, and you’d actually have the best of both worlds, because sometimes worlds can be separate. I know there are celebrity chefs who rave about these, and to end I’d like to quote the great Ron Swanson: Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing.

$179 at HexClad (12-inch Hybrid Fry Pan)

$179 at HexClad (3-quart Hybrid Deep Sauté Pan)

$199 at Amazon (12-inch Hybrid Fry Pan)